Scott Westerfeld Forum

General => MEET-UPS! => Topic started by: Team Toshi Banana on February 14, 2010, 08:49:43 AM

Um, so I know we already have 2 "questions for Scott" threads, but they're both getting off-topic, so maybe we should start a new one? It might make the whole thing less confusing. I dunno, just an idea.

In one of the other threads, Zombie asked a question about people getting surgery to change their sex, which made me wonder: How would people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise queer be treated in Tally's city, or in other places in the world of Uglies? Thanks in advance.

In one of the other threads, Zombie asked a question about people getting surgery to change their sex, which made me wonder: How would people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise queer be treated in Tally's city, or in other places in the world of Uglies? Thanks in advance.

<i>How does he do his world-building so well? The worlds of Uglies and Leviathan are just amazing!</i>

World-building is tricky. You have to watch the world around you, THIS one, all the time, and watch the way it all fits together. Arts, politics, technology, social stuff like who's friends with whom--and try to see what rules apply. That way, when you create your own world, you'll have an idea what makes sense.

How do you feel when you go on tours and meet fans who are obsessed with your books? (Like me )

It's loads of fun, especially answering questions. A lot of the questions people ask might be the same, but someone always comes up with a new question or observation for me.

Would you ever like to try a different job, other than writing? Which one?

I think being a game designer would be cool. But I'd always write, even if it wasn't my job.

Do you like editing a novel? What is working with your editor like?

I like doing rewrites, and getting the almost right word to be the EXACTLY right word. My editor is really smart, and always seems to find the places I have a blind spot. It's like having someone give you good advice about anything else important. It's great as long as you trust them. (Otherwise, it just makes you more uncertain.)

I haven't done any big tours in Oz, but I do some school visits and bookstore appearances in Sydney, and some conferences in Melbourne and Brisbane. I've always wanted to do the Sydney Book festival. Where are YOU?

I wrote a novel, then sent a query letter into an agency, and they asked to see the whole novel. They read it, and liked it! Then they handled the rest. That's the great thing about agents. Sending your work around is their problem, not yours.

I wrote a novel, then sent a query letter into an agency, and they asked to see the whole novel. They read it, and liked it! Then they handled the rest. That's the great thing about agents. Sending your work around is their problem, not yours.

<i>In one of the other threads, Zombie asked a question about people getting surgery to change their sex, which made me wonder: How would people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise queer be treated in Tally's city, or in other places in the world of Uglies? Thanks in advance.</i>

Didn't I answer this? Anyway, I'm sure that Tally's city wouldn't have a problem with people being gay. They might have a thing against trans-gendered people, because they're into very specific definitions of who everyone is. But in Diego, I'm sure there would be lots of trans people of various kinds.

<i>Also: Why do you generally write science fiction? </i>

The simplest answer is: I like thinking about how the world could be different. It doesn't have to be the way we're all used to it, and for most of history, it wasn't. I mean, I have an older friend who's uncle was born a slave. In this country, not THAT long ago, people OWNED OTHER PEOPLE. How weird (and ***ed up) is that?

Almost everything we think of as normal was at one time considered bizarre, and vice versa. Science fiction is a way of exploring that idea.

do you think we will ever reach the Reputation Society as you described it in Extras ?

I think we have one already, sort of. I mean, when you look up someone on Twitter and they have a million followers, you assume they have at least SOMETHING to say.

But as far as actually paying for things with reputation, it will probably always work the old-fashioned way: You use your reputation to get other things, like jobs or investors, which you then use to make money. So it's a few steps between reputation and the actual MONEY economy.

Extras was originally from Hiro's perspective, and Aya was just his annoying little sister. But then all the cool stuff started happening to her, and I realized I had to rewrite it from her pov. So in a way, I had no real starting point from her except as a side character. And then she grew into something.

Have you ever had the feeling your life is a book in itself? (weird question yes, but this is the sort of geeky thing my friends and I talk about)

Hmm. I do think about life as a dream, or even as a simulation of some kind. (Like, we all paid to be in this reality, just as a training exercise.) But never as a book. I mean, books require readers to be alive, and if I'm in the book, who's the reader?

Extras was originally from Hiro's perspective, and Aya was just his annoying little sister. But then all the cool stuff started happening to her, and I realized I had to rewrite it from her pov. So in a way, I had no real starting point from her except as a side character. And then she grew into something.

In my first and second books, Lasting and Forever, too much stuff was happening to be captured by one character's pov, although its mostly coming from Nix, the main character's pov. Will switching it around through different characters be too confusing for readers?

Got some questions for the Uglies Movie. When's it coming out? I know it's 2011, but what's the date? Are there already actors? Can there be audidtions for ANYBODY, (like fans) for parts like Tally and Shay?

In my first and second books, Lasting and Forever, too much stuff was happening to be captured by one character's pov, although its mostly coming from Nix, the main character's pov. Will switching it around through different characters be too confusing for readers?

You can have several characters with povs. Lots of great books do. My own Midnighters is like that, so don't worry. Just make sure that all the povs are distinct. They all need their own voice.

In my first and second books, Lasting and Forever, too much stuff was happening to be captured by one character's pov, although its mostly coming from Nix, the main character's pov. Will switching it around through different characters be too confusing for readers?

You can have several characters with povs. Lots of great books do. My own Midnighters is like that, so don't worry. Just make sure that all the povs are distinct. They all need their own voice.

Got some questions for the Uglies Movie. When's it coming out? I know it's 2011, but what's the date? Are there already actors? Can there be audidtions for ANYBODY, (like fans) for parts like Tally and Shay?

Got some questions for the Uglies Movie. When's it coming out? I know it's 2011, but what's the date? Are there already actors? Can there be audidtions for ANYBODY, (like fans) for parts like Tally and Shay?

I have no idea, but it may not come out 2011. There is NO SCRIPT YET (that I know of).

As you can see, I don't know much. The best thing to do is to get a Google alert for "uglies movie" or something, or get a theatrical agent. (Again, I don't know how to do that, but I bet the INTERNET does.)

Got some questions for the Uglies Movie. When's it coming out? I know it's 2011, but what's the date? Are there already actors? Can there be audidtions for ANYBODY, (like fans) for parts like Tally and Shay?

Got some questions for the Uglies Movie. When's it coming out? I know it's 2011, but what's the date? Are there already actors? Can there be audidtions for ANYBODY, (like fans) for parts like Tally and Shay?

Where is your fave spot to write? Do you have a special place you go to get away from it all or do you go out in a busy place and apply some of what you see going on there into your books? Or is it all life experience? Or imagination?

Where is your fave spot to write? Do you have a special place you go to get away from it all or do you go out in a busy place and apply some of what you see going on there into your books? Or is it all life experience? Or imagination?

I like the little study upstairs in our Sydney place. It has a big skylight and a little terrace and great views, a Chesterfield couch, and lots of book cases.

But yeah, I also like being in a busy cafe, like when I write with Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman (and others) here in NYC.

can you write another midnighters book?like what happens afterwards, when jonathan and melissa and jessica leave?

Alas, I don't "own" the Midnighters world. I share the rights with Alloy (of Gossip Girl fame) who sort of helped me develop it. I'd never written YA before, so I went to them for help. But I don't want to keep working with them, so the series is done.

Where is your fave spot to write? Do you have a special place you go to get away from it all or do you go out in a busy place and apply some of what you see going on there into your books? Or is it all life experience? Or imagination?

I like the little study upstairs in our Sydney place. It has a big skylight and a little terrace and great views, a Chesterfield couch, and lots of book cases.

But yeah, I also like being in a busy cafe, like when I write with Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman (and others) here in NYC.

Yeah. I write during school. Its got all the conflictions a teen writer could EVER ask for!

Where is your fave spot to write? Do you have a special place you go to get away from it all or do you go out in a busy place and apply some of what you see going on there into your books? Or is it all life experience? Or imagination?

I like the little study upstairs in our Sydney place. It has a big skylight and a little terrace and great views, a Chesterfield couch, and lots of book cases.

But yeah, I also like being in a busy cafe, like when I write with Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman (and others) here in NYC.

Yeah. I write during school. Its got all the conflictions a teen writer could EVER ask for!

Agreed! Though, sometimes, I like to write in my cozy corner. Don't ask.

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

I'm a long time Uglies fan who's never read any of your other work (out of fear it won't be as captivating, I sheepishly admit). Which next book would you recommend by you?What about another series you think someone like me would like?Thanks and I love that you do this for fans :)

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

im going to high school next year for environmental science and im going to college for environmental engineering. UGLIES helped me make that choice. Thank you Scott-sensei!

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

im going to high school next year for environmental science and im going to college for environmental engineering. UGLIES helped me make that choice. Thank you Scott-sensei!

Yeah. I do have to admit that I chose APES too. And I'm always going around school getting the recycling. Thanks from me too Scott-La!!!

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

Well, right. I was mostly referring to an immediate "something".And maybe. I hope so. But sometimes it doesn't really seem like we're trying to "land" at all.

I'm a long time Uglies fan who's never read any of your other work (out of fear it won't be as captivating, I sheepishly admit). Which next book would you recommend by you?What about another series you think someone like me would like?

I'm always most in love with my current books. (After all, they're the ones that are in my head.) So check out Leviathan. But you could also ask the fine people on this forum.

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

im going to high school next year for environmental science and im going to college for environmental engineering. UGLIES helped me make that choice. Thank you Scott-sensei!

Yeah. I do have to admit that I chose APES too. And I'm always going around school getting the recycling. Thanks from me too Scott-La!!!

What do you think would actually happen to the world if something happened to our oil/natural gas supply (like in the Uglies backstory)?

Well, it's already happening. Because the supply of gas is getting very expensive to get to, and more people want to use it (as China industrializes) the price will tend to go up. (It's only low now because of the recession.)

Luckily, it won't happen all at once as in the Uglies books. Maybe we'll be smart enough to change the way we live and have a "soft landing" from our dependence on oil.

im going to high school next year for environmental science and im going to college for environmental engineering. UGLIES helped me make that choice. Thank you Scott-sensei!

Yeah. I do have to admit that I chose APES too. And I'm always going around school getting the recycling. Thanks from me too Scott-La!!!

I studied Japanese in college, and still read a lot of manga, so I thought I could pull it off. And Japan always seems to be a few years in the future compared with the rest of the world. It seemed like a good place to set the Mind-Rain.

I studied Japanese in college, and still read a lot of manga, so I thought I could pull it off. And Japan always seems to be a few years in the future compared with the rest of the world. It seemed like a good place to set the Mind-Rain.

Im sorry Sky-wa isnt here right now please leave a message after the beap... *beap*

((Later on the News))THIS JUST IN. A GIRL JUST DIED IN HER OWN HOME...THE CAUSE....MISSING THE SCOTT WESTERFELD FORUM MEET UP!!*broadcaster says* wait there was a meet up with scott-la himself??!! (he gasps and dies)

can you write another midnighters book?like what happens afterwards, when jonathan and melissa and jessica leave?

Alas, I don't "own" the Midnighters world. I share the rights with Alloy (of Gossip Girl fame) who sort of helped me develop it. I'd never written YA before, so I went to them for help. But I don't want to keep working with them, so the series is done.

That just made me drop my mouth in horror for ten seconds, cringe out of my reverie of despair, and die.Midnighters is my life. And you're taking it away from me, Scott! MURDER!

can you write another midnighters book?like what happens afterwards, when jonathan and melissa and jessica leave?

Alas, I don't "own" the Midnighters world. I share the rights with Alloy (of Gossip Girl fame) who sort of helped me develop it. I'd never written YA before, so I went to them for help. But I don't want to keep working with them, so the series is done.

That just made me drop my mouth in horror for ten seconds, cringe out of my reverie of despair, and die.Midnighters is my life. And you're taking it away from me, Scott! MURDER!

can you write another midnighters book?like what happens afterwards, when jonathan and melissa and jessica leave?

Alas, I don't "own" the Midnighters world. I share the rights with Alloy (of Gossip Girl fame) who sort of helped me develop it. I'd never written YA before, so I went to them for help. But I don't want to keep working with them, so the series is done.

That just made me drop my mouth in horror for ten seconds, cringe out of my reverie of despair, and die.Midnighters is my life. And you're taking it away from me, Scott! MURDER!

Midnighters is literally my life. I do not know how to explain it. It has been in every aspect of every part of my day for two years, and it never will stop, because I'll never know what happened to Rex and Melissa!

Has a friend or fan ever influenced your plot after you began the story, or are you pretty set in the storyline? For example, someone saying - Don't kill this person, make sure this person gets their comeuppance, etc.?

Scott- Do you favor the fact that your fans dislike some of your characters? I mean..I beleive that allows for us to get closer to the story. I am sure you also dislike the characters then eh? For the fact that you are the creator for your audience.

In one of the other threads, Zombie asked a question about people getting surgery to change their sex, which made me wonder: How would people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise queer be treated in Tally's city, or in other places in the world of Uglies? Thanks in advance.

I actually read about that, Steve. Scott made sure that the Uglies society wasn't heteronormative (meaning that heterosexual couples weren't the only option). If you check back, you'll notice that when Shay talks about Tally's mysterious someone who gave her the locket, she never assumes this someone is a guy.